Cold bats have Folsom softball at 2-6 early in the season

Folsom High's varsity softball team has won only two of its first eight games and except for a 9-0 loss to Elk Grove and they've been competitive in all of them. The biggest reason for the team's 2-6 record has been their offense. Folsom has only managed 17 runs in eight games, as the team is only hitting .207 on the season. The good thing is hitting usually comes around so the hope is it will for the Bulldogs. It should, as Folsom's got Sophie Green, Faith Best and Raygan Mercado, who all hit above .270 a season ago. "Sophie and Raygan have all been two of our best hitters," Folsom coach Sheena Jackson said. "Mariah Wilson has been swinging a good bat; and Xavia Hodgins has been our leadoff hitter and has found ways to get on base. Freshman Brooklyn Jackson, I expect her to be good as a freshman. "We've got a decent amount of returners, but we haven't had any easy games out of the gate either, as I've made a tough preseason schedule to get us ready for league. We're just not making the adjustments we need to make, but I think it will come in time. Ultimately, who's hitting is who will be in the lineup." Jackson likes her team this year. She said pitching currently is the team's strength, and that the team is also playing good defense and that she's got versatility in the lineup where she has a lot of options of who she can play where and also where they can hit in the lineup. "Our strength right now is our pitching," Jackson said. "Raygan Mercado is coming back for her senior year and has thrown a lot of innings and has a lot of experience. We've also got a freshman in Brooklyn Jackson, who is battle-tested in the travel ball area and has been performing well for us. The girls are going out throwing good games and they're not getting the run support they need. Hopefully, we'll figure something out and will be able to manufacture some runs." On Monday, Folsom played host to Sheldon and while the team had six hits and scored two runs, it wasn't enough, as the Huskies put up five runs on 13 hits. Facing the top pitching of Kwinci Brown and Micah Kennedy, the Bulldogs struck out 13 times, including seven of the first nine batters, as Brown was dominant. Folsom trailed 5-0 before they managed to score one run apiece in the final two innings. In the bottom of the sixth, Mariah Wilson reached base with her second hit of the game, advanced to second and then scored on a pinch-hit double by Peyton Ollinger. In the bottom of the seventh, Green tripled and then scored on a hit by Mercado. Folsom had other chances to score, but just couldn't come up with the big hit. In the third inning, they had two runners on with two outs but Mercado popped out to third base. In the fourth inning, Wilson led off the inning with a single before Jackson ripped a ball up the middle, only to see Sheldon second baseman Natalia Aguilar make a diving catch on or Folsom would have scored that inning. In the fifth inning, Folsom also put two runners on base after two outs were made, as Hodgins singled and Green was hit by a pitch. Mercado then grounded out to end the inning. In the sixth inning, Folsom had Ollinger on second base with two outs, but Best struck out and the inning was over. The hitting should come around for the Bulldogs and when it does, they should have another competitive year in the Sierra Foothill League. A year ago they posted a 6-8 record and placed fifth and they will be looking to improve on that mark this season.